Florida International University sophomore linebacker Sage Lewis, a Pace High graduate, tore through offenses last season, as one of the leaders of the Panther’s tough defense.
This season, the 6-1, 232-pound Lewis is seeking to make a much bigger impact, and his first target is the University of Central Florida, when the Pegasus host FIU on Saturday, August 31 in the season opener.
Under new head coach Butch Davis, a defensive architect, Lewis and the defense are ready to take the field and show their opponents the new schemes they learned during spring and summer practices.
Lewis had a breakthrough season in 2016 and the team is banking on him to demonstrate his dominance again this season.
Last season in 11 games as a freshmen, Lewis registered 27 tackles (11 solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss and one quarterback hurry.
FIU recruited Lewis when he played at Pace, where he was named a First-Team All-State player in 2014; named First-Team All-Dade County; and finished the 2014 season registering 105 tackles and eight sacks.
He had more than 100 tackles for his second-consecutive season; and recorded 125 tackles during his junior season as a Spartan.